Apparatus for purifying and aging liquors.



PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

H. 1)., LAIDLAW. APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND AGING LIQUORS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25.'1904. RENEWED JAN. 21, 1907.

j UNITED STATES P illENT osrron.

HENRI I). LAIDLAW,

WILLIAM H. BURNETT ,l RANUlhUO, CALIFORNIA OF SAN FRANCISQO,'GALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR F UNE IUIRI) 'lO AND ONE-THIRD TO WARREN PARSON,BOTH OF SAN APIARATUS FOB PURIFYING AND AGING LIQUOZBS.

"no. names.

Specifieationof Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24=,1907.

Application filed April 26,1904. Serial H0. 204,737. Renewed January21,1907. Serial No. 353,365.

invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Purifyingand Aging Liquors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for purifying and agingliquors, such as whisky, brandyand other spirituous liquors, Wine, beer,ale, cider and the like, and for the extraction therefrom of volatileand other oils and gases and acids, noxious and other,

odors, and organic and inorganic impurities.

It is also adapted for the extraction ofother volatile liquids fromcompound liquids, as, for instance gaso lene, benzimand otherdistillates, from petroleum.

My invention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination,and arrangement of parts for the above ends, hereinafter iully spdcifiedand particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, the figure. is a vertical section of myimproved apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, l'represents "an air-tight tank having at thebottom a draw off pipe 2. From the top of said tank, a pipe 3 leads to avrorm 4 in a chamber -5 either open or closed provided with inlet 6 andoutlet 7 'so that into said chamber may be introduced either a coolingor a heating fluid. In nearly all of the processes for which my improvedapparatus is peculiarly adapted a cooling medium will be introduced intosaid chamber, which will be maintained at a temperature of about 30Fahrenheit. Attached to the bottom of said chamber is a cylindricalchamber 8 having a conical bottom 9 terminating in a pipe and draw offcock 10. 11 is a support for said chamber s1 The lower chamber 8 isdivided by a vertical partition 13. The lower end of the worm 4pssses'thediaphragm 30 forming the bottom of the upper chamber-'5 andentore the lower chamber on one side of said partition 13 upper chamber5 and from said chamber on the other side of the partition extends apipe 14- which leads upwards through and outfrom the top thereof to theend of a vacuum chamber 15, In the middle ,of said vacuum chamber is afume arrester 16 preferably iormcd of screens having anysuitablepervioussubstance thereb'etween. The gases are exhausted from saidchamber by means of a single-acting air pump 17 operated from a shaft18, at about 130 strokes a minute,

"said pump being connected with said vacuum cham ber through a pipe 31having therein a check valve 20 permitting the gases to fiow from thevacuum chamber to the pump, but arresting their return movement. Dun

ing each complete stroke of the pump, the gases are I drawn rapidlyagainst and through the fume ar'rester and the succeeding gases thenchecked th ereat. These fluctuations in pressure and velocity of thegases at the iumearrester tend to partly condense the gases and toseparate the impurities therefrom; A pipe 21 leads from said pump, to aheating chamber 22, said pipe having therein a check valve 23 preventingthe return movement of the gases. On entering said heating chamber saidgases are heated by a steam coil2A therein;

and a pipe 25 lads from said heating/ chamber to the bottom of the tank1 where it is connected to a number of radial arms 26 having smallopenings 27 therein.v 12 represents a draw off pipe for the chamber 15,for drawing off the impurities condensed at the fume arrester 16, and28a similar pipe for the heating chamber 22. This latter pipe'28 mayalsyi be used for injecting oxygen to be mixed with the/liquid tooxidize the same. 32 are thermometers and 53 pressure gages.

The operation ofithe apparatus is as follows: Upon the pump being set inmotioh the air is drawn from the tank I through the worm and vacuumchamber to the pump: and is discharged into the heating chamber 22,which is maintained at" a temperature of about 90 Fahr 'heit and isheated thereby, and then passes from id heating chamber down to thebutton of the tank 1 whence it top of said tank Qarough the liguidtherein! After a continued repetition of thisprocess the mines andvapors arising rpm the tank are partly distill ed by the worm, anda/ihange is offected ii /their chemical compositio In fact the processconsists of a series of repeated distillations.

Theliquid-in the tank becomes/in time eufliciently, heated to give offthe vapors somewhat rapidly, and

these are again condensed/the liquid part thereui dropping into theconical portionofthe chambaf 8 while the gaseous part 'fieed irom saidliquid portion flows back into the tank. .The character oiiihe liquid inthe tank. thus becomes changed. Such substance as iusel oil are readilyextracted whisky/ fiend spirituous and alcoholic liquids are in a veryshort time aged and much improved in character. a I

-Whi.le the apparatus is especially dcsignedi'of'alcoholic liquors, itis not restricted thereto, as it may be used with advantage inother-cases where it is desired to separate heavy ingredients andimpurities from lighter ingredients of the compound.

In an apparatus of the character described, the combinetlon of :1closedtank, u plpc lending tion thereof, a worm conneqed to said pipe. achamber lnclosliig said worm/and adapted to contain u. cooling medium, achamber into which the lower end of t e worm from the upper pot--enters, means for drawing 0% liquid from said. latter 0511mmt'rom said,Heating clrmiher to the'tank to 10 chamber, a pipe leading upwards fromsaid latter chamber, conduct the heated gases 'thereta; subutantiaily asdea vgcuum chamber with w ich said pipe connects, a pump scribed.vconnect-e41 t9 said vacuum chamber to exhaust the salme,1 In witnesswhereof Ihave hereunto set my hand in the 5 p permeable partition insaid vacuum chamber forming" presenqe ottwo subscribing witnesses.

a fume'ari'ester, means for drawing off liquids from said 1' HENRI D.LAIDLAW. v fiacuug n chamber, a healing chamber into'whicli the gases 7Witnesses ylflliauhfiegi jh'om said vacuum chamber are discharged by IFRANCIS M. VV'JLIGHT,

smid pump 'lupuns tor imaging said heating chamber and a Bussm Gomrmxsn.

